Tip #02 :
How to check for leaks on your toilet :
Most toilet flush tanks work in the same way. The tank contains two valves - a flush valve and a refill valve. One type of refill valve is commonly called a ballcock.
When the flush valve fails to seal properly, water is leaked from the tank into the bowl. The leaked tank water is replenished by the refill valve, causing a continuous flow of wasted water.
If the refill valve leaks, the tank overfills, and the excess water runs from the overflow pipe into the toilet bowl. A waterlogged float causes overflowing, even if the refill valve itself is functioning properly.
You can check for a leaky flush valve very simply. Shut off the water supply to the toilet. The shutoff valve is located beneath the tank on the left side as you face the toilet. Mark the water level, then check it again in 20 minutes. If the water level has fallen below your mark, the flush valve is leaking. If not, the flush valve did not leak, and you know that any leaks are being caused by the refill valve.
To check both the flush valve and the refill valve for leaking, simply drop some food colouring or laundry bluing into the toilet tank to colour the water. Do this when the tank is fully refilled after a flush. Don't flush the tank again until you have inspected the toilet bowl - a few minutes later - for signs of colour. If the bowl water has a hue, there's a leak.
Your toilet tank may simply need a good "tune-up."
Here are some adjustments you can make:
Refill valve:
If your tank has a conventional ballcock refill valve, the water level is adjusted by bending the float arm. The level should be high enough for complete flushes, but the water should not reach the top of the overflow pipe. Your tank should have a coloured or moulded water level mark. It should never be set so low that the bowl does not refill with trap sealing water.
The rule of thumb is to set the water level about 3/4" below the top of the overflow pipe.
If the float rubs on other parts, simply adjust the float arm sideways. If the float lacks buoyancy, unscrew then shake it to determine if it is waterlogged. A waterlogged float should be replaced. The float arm can also be replaced, if needed.
In tanks using modern plastic refill valves, the tank water level is adjusted in other ways. If your tank uses a hand nut, turn the nut clockwise to raise, or counter-clockwise to lower, the water level. Or, your tank may have a sliding pinch clamp on an adjustment rod. Slide the clamp up to raise the level or down to lower it.
Flush valve.
Replacements for a flush ball and its actuating mechanism are available, but it may be possible to stop a leak with minor adjustments. Check the following mechanisms before purchasing replacements.
See that the guide arm is centred directly over the seat.
The guide arm should drop the flush ball directly into its seat. If the flush ball is not seating properly, loosen the set screw and rotate it on the overflow pipe.
The guide arm should allow the flush ball to rise enough for a complete flush. If not, raise the arm. Be careful that it isn't too high - then it will prevent the ball from closing completely.
Check that the upper lift wire pulls the flush ball high enough. To adjust it, simply bend the wire for a higher or lower lift.
The lifting hardware on a flapper-type flush valve should raise the rubber flapper to start a flush, but should not hold the flapper up off its seat. If this is occurring, the hardware is adjusted too short. Some types allow you to slide the flapper itself up or down on the refill tube to ensure that the flapper meets the valve seat squarely. The lifting hardware and flapper height adjustments are the first things to check when flapper problems arise.
Refill tube:
If the bowl-refill tube is out of place, water is routed directly into the tank, rather than replenishing water in the bowl. When this is the case, you will likely hear splashing sounds during tank refill. The refill tube should aim directly into the overflow pipe but should not reach below water level. If the tube extends too low, it will silently siphon tank water away. Fix it by repositioning it.
Defective refill tubes on some valves can be replaced with new plastic ones. Simply place one end of the plastic tube over the serrated plastic lug on the body of the valve, and place the plastic holder in the top of the overflow pipe.
FIXING THE FLUSH VALVE:
Most toilet tank troubles can be traced to a faulty flush valve. You have three choices in correcting this common problem:
* repair the old flush valve;
* replace the flush ball with a more modern flapper or install a glued-in replacement flapper;
* or install a new flush valve.
These repairs require a varying amount of work. The more simple adjustments were discussed previously.
Examine the old flush ball or flapper. If it is aged or encrusted with deposits, replace it with a new one. Scale deposits on the seat can be removed with steel wool or with No. 500 wet-or-dry abrasive paper. But if the valve still leaks, it must be replaced.
You can install a new guide arm, if necessary. To remove the lift wire from a flush ball, turn it counter- clockwise with pliers. If you are replacing all parts, simply cut off the old lift wire.
Flapper: To replace a flapper, disconnect the lift hardware from the trip arm and slide the flapper up and off the overflow pipe. Install the new unit, reversing directions, and connect the lift hardware back to the trip arm. Any excess lift chain can be cut off or left dangling, if it doesn't interfere with toilet operation.
A loose trip handle can be fixed by tightening. The nut has left-hand threads, and must be turned counter -clockwise to tighten (looking from inside the tank). Or, you can install a replacement trip handle.
Glue-in repair kit:
Many replacement flush valves simply glue in place on top of the old valve seat. While several brands are available, not every type of flush can be replaced by these devices.
On single-piece toilet tanks -
with a flush valve held in place with flanges that fit inside the opening - the flapper-ball may bind and prevent a leak-proof seal. On more common two-piece toilets, this problem does not occur.
Using a glue-in repair kit is quick and easy, but you must follow the manufacturer's instructions. To be sure you purchase the right kind of repair kit, take a rough drawing of the bottom of your toilet tank and flush valve to your hardware or home centre store.
Tip #03 :
Caulking - What Should You Use and Where
- Silicone Rubber lasts 12 to 30 years or more and offers the best adhesion for use in seams, cracks and gaps up to 1/4". Adheres very well to all clean surfaces. Pure silicone does not allow paint to adhere, so impurities are added for adhesion in some formulations. It is available in many colours and clear.
- Butyl Rubber lasts 8 to 10 years, has some shrinkage and is for use in seams, cracks, gaps up to 1/4". It is available in many colours.
- Acrylic Latex Silicone Blend lasts 12 to 20 years and features easier application than the preceding rubber caulks. It is intended for use in seams, cracks, gaps up to 1/4". Depending on manufacturer, it may not take painting.
- Acrylic Caulk lasts 8 to 10 years. It features easy water clean up and is for use in seams, cracks, gaps up to 1/4". It goes on easily and has no offensive odour. It is available in many colors.
- Latex Caulk lasts 2 to 10 years, features water clean up and is intended for use in seams, cracks, gaps without expansion or contraction up to 1/4". Most are paintable. Many are available in colors.
- Oil Base Asphalt Caulk lasts 1 to 4 years. It is dispensed as a soft and tar like compound for use in seams and gaps on the roof around chimneys, stacks and pipes to 1/4". It hardens rapidly cracks.
- Caulking Cord is usually considered a temporary weather-stripping product. It lasts 1 to 2 years, peels from a roll and then pushed into place. It is usually a temporary filler around storms and air conditioners. It comes in rolls and unused portion can be stored for years.
- Oakum is twisted hemp treated with tar. It is cut to needed length pushed into place. It is used to stuff large gaps before using caulking over the oakum.
- Glazing Compound lasts indefinitely. Application requires some practice with a putty knife, and is used as a seal between the window glass and frame, an often-overlooked area needing repair.
- Linseed Oil Putty has basically been replaced by glazing compound in recent years. It is harder to work with, offers less adhesion and cracks faster.
Where to Use Caulking:
- Unfilled gaps and cracks in the foundation, around windows and doors, vents, and so on, let winter cold air and summer heat in exactly the same as leaving a window open. In fact, a 1/8-inch opening around just two door frames can let in as much cold air as a 12 inch window opened 6 inches all winter long.
- Caulking is used around outside window and door-frames, and to fill outside wall and foundation cracks. The money you spend on caulking is usually recovered in one heating season or less. This one season "pay-back" period means that money for heating fuel is saved equal to or greater than what you spend for caulking and weather stripping materials.
- A clean joint is the first and most important step. Clean away all old caulk and loose paint or dirt and apply new caulk to dry surfaces. The most common and easiest to use caulking comes in cartridges for which you will need a caulking gun. A good rough estimate is that you will need 1/2 cartridge per window or door, 4 for the foundation sill, and at least 1 more for around faucets, vents, pipes, electrical outlets etc.
- Cut off about 1/2 inch of the cartridge tip on a 45-degree angle and puncture the tip seal with a nail. You can use the nail later to act as a stopper for any unused caulk. With a little practice on a joint that's not visible you'll soon be able to lay a uniform wide bead that overlaps both sides for a good seal. Finish the surface with a moistened finger if you like but that's not necessary. Remember to use a filler, like oakum, for wide joints before you caulk.
- Some but not all the places you should investigate when surveying your home before caulking are around doors and windows, dryer vents, faucet pipes and wires, where porches attach to the house, seams between masonry and siding, chimneys and inside corners.
- Before applying caulking compound:
Clean area of paint build-up, dirt, or deteriorated caulk with solvent and putty knife or large screwdriver.
- Drawing a good bead of caulk will take a little practice. First attempts may be a bit messy. Make sure the bead overlaps both sides for a tight seal. A wide bead may be necessary to make sure caulk adheres to both sides. Fill extra wide cracks like those at the sills (where the house meets the foundation) with oakum, glass fibre insulation strips, etc.) In places where you can't quite fill the gaps finish the job with caulk.
Tip #04 :
When you have to drill screw holes in tile, start by marking the spot with a Magic Marker. Then, using an ordinary glass cutter, place the cutter's cutting edge to your pre-marked spot and rotate the cutter with a little inward pressure breaking the glaze on the tile with the cutter until you are all the way through the glaze and have made a place to start drilling. You can also use a concrete nail to score the glaze by holding the nail and spinning with you fingers while pressing down. Using the concrete nail is a little harder but it can work. Now use a normal drill with a masonry bit to drill the holes.
Tip #05 :
Excessive moisture in the Bathroom:
Bathroom ventilation is extremely important. Many people think that you need to simply exhaust the steam from hot showers or baths and unpleasant odours. Residual surface moisture on towels, carpeting, washrags, and shower walls can significantly raise the humidity level in a bathroom after you have dressed and left the house. This moisture can be removed by controlling the bathroom fan with a humidistat rather than a standard on and off switch. The humidistat will automatically turn the fan off when the humidity has dropped to a satisfactory level.
Fans are sized depending upon how much (cubic feet, CF) air they can move each minute at a given pressure (static pressure). This quantity of air is often expressed as cubic feet per minute (CFM). The Home Ventilating Institute recommends that bathroom air be totally replaced a minimum of 8 times per hour. Kitchens require a minimum of 15 air replacements per hour.
The average bathroom contains 280 cubic feet of air (5x7x8). Using the above recommendation, you need to exhaust 2,240 CF in an hour (280x8). Purchasing a fan with a capacity of 37 CFM will meet this minimum standard (2,240 / 60).
Tip #06 :
Cleaning and sealing Outdoor Wood
Wood that is used to construct boat docks, decks, handrails, picnic tables or any other horizontal outdoor surface is subjected to the absolute harshest weathering conditions. Unprotected wood absorbs enormous amounts of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. UV rays can actually blast apart the lightning that bonds wood fibres together. Rainwater and snow melt can pond or pool on flat boards. This water can easily be absorbed by the wood causing it to swell. When the sun or wind dries the wood, it shrinks. The shrinkage forces cause cracking, twisting and warping. Conventional pressure treatment chemicals will inhibit rotting but will not stop these other destructive and unattractive phenomena. New wood needs to be sealed immediately. Water and sunlight begin to destroy it as soon as it is exposed to these elements.
Cleaning a wood surface prior to sealing is very important. The cleaning will remove any dirt, tree sap, algae or mildew. It will also remove the decaying wood fibres destroyed by the UV rays. All of these things prevent the wood sealer from adhering or penetrating into the wood. Do not use chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) to clean your wood! It is a very strong oxidizer that will remove the natural colour from your wood. In addition, it is toxic to any vegetation surrounding your wood surfaces.
A better cleaner is sodium percarbonate or oxygen bleach. This product will not remove the natural colours from the wood nor will it harm vegetation. Sodium percarbonate should not be used to clean redwood. It can actually darken the wood. Use oxalic acid instead. I have cleaned cedar with oxygen bleach without darkening it. You may want to experiment yourself. If you feel it darkens the cedar, then use oxalic acid to complete the cleaning job.
When selecting a sealer, try to choose one that is a penetrating water repellent. Look for ones that are formulated using synthetic oils and resins. Some are available that are water based. You can - in some cases - clean and seal your deck the same day! Choose a sealant that is heavily pigmented if possible. The pigments in sealants do a great job of reflecting and absorbing harmful UV rays. Some sealants that you can purchase contain natural oils like linseed oil and tung oil. Both of these oils can do a great job of protecting wood, however the manufacturers often have to add mildewcides and fungicides to the sealants. The natural oils are actually food for mildew and algae! That is why many decks turn black or green in just a matter of 6 - 9 months.
Avoid using sealers that are film-forming sealants. Beware of products that contain acrylic resins, varnish resins or alkyd resins. Look on the label for these ingredients. These products do not readily soak into the wood. They leave a film that will eventually peel. If the film peels unevenly from your wood surfaces, it will become a maintenance nightmare. You will have to strip your wood in the future to add additional sealants.
Be sure to follow the instructions on all cleaning and sealant products. Hot, sunny, windy days can be the worst time to apply certain products. Some synthetic sealers will last up to 3 years if you apply them according to instructions. I have a synthetic sealer on my front porch that is 2 years old. It looks practically new. There is no sign of mildew or algae growth whatsoever.
Tip #07 :
Do you really have to seal natural stone?
What it will and won't do.
The answer is yes! Sealing with the right stone impregnator creates a below-surface barrier, preventing penetration of water which can destroy the stone when installed in a shower or over a slab. It will also prevent most stains like grease & dirt and allows for easier maintenance. Topical sealers (actually considered coatings) do nothing to protect the stone from pulling in the harsh chemicals and minerals found in some water. What a sealer won't do is stop grout or tile from getting dirty. If you have polished marble the sealer cannot stop the stone from becoming "etched" if anything acidic is spilled on the surface, you must still be careful.
This Tip compliments of The Tile Lady. Debbie has graciously let us use this tip from her site. If you care to see more of her Tile Tips, they can be viewed at
http://www.tilelady.com/
Tip #08 :
Cleaning Tips
Since it is getting close to when the kids go back to school, my wife and I got the kids to help clean the house. Doing that got me to thinking how expensive it was to buy cleaning solutions. So I searched and found a few tips and easy to make cleaning products.
- To clean a dirty microwave oven, boil a cup of water in it for a few minutes. The steam will loosen the food, which can be wiped off with a dish cloth.
- Wash your sponges in the dishwasher along with your dishes to make them last longer.
- Use equal parts of white vinegar and salt to clean out coffee and tea stains from your china.
- Scrub copper pots with a bit of salt and vinegar to clean.
- Film that accumulates in your bathtub can be removed by scrubbing with vinegar.
- Save your old toothbrushes to scrub small areas. Also ideal for cleaning your tile grout.
- A window decal can be removed by painting it with vinegar. When it has thoroughly soaked for a few minutes, it can be wiped off easily.
- Use equal parts of warm water and vinegar to clean windows. Dry with a soft cloth or newspaper to prevent streaking.
- Carpets should be vacuumed once a week. Dirty spots can be cleaned with a mixture of vinegar and water. Blot dry.
- To get rid of grease stains on your carpet, rub lightly with baking soda or cover it with cornstarch for about an hour. Vacuum or brush clean.
- Wet mud on your carpet should be dried first, and then vacuumed. Rub the open end of the hose on the area to help break up the mud. Sponge it with dishwashing liquid.
- To clean a dirty vase with a small opening, crush some eggshells and mix with water and vinegar or detergent. Pour into the vase, cover and shake until clean. Rinse thoroughly.
Cleaning Basics:
- Vinegar - removes mildew and stains. Cleans glass, grout, and fireplaces.
- Baking Soda - cleans, deodorizes, removes stains, polishes and softens fabrics. Can be used on plastic, vinyl, upholstery, carpets, and stainless steel, down drains and in refrigerators.
- Pure Soap - cleans most everything
- Ammonia - cleans linoleum, carpets, and most appliances. Can irritate the skin and eyes. Area must be well ventilated. Never mix with bleach because it creates a poisonous gas!
- Most cleaning products contain 95% water and the remaining 5% include useless substances to make it look or smell nice. Here are some cheaper alternatives you can make yourself:
All Purpose Cleaner
50 mL baking soda
250 mL ammonia
125 mL white vinegar
4 L warm water
Drain Opener
250 mL baking soda
250 mL salt
125 mL white vinegar
1 kettle boiling water
Pour first 3 ingredients down drain and leave for about 15 minutes. Then pour down the boiling water.
Laundry Detergent
250 mL pure soap flakes or powder
25 to 50 mL washing soda
Increase the washing soda if you have really hard water in your area.
Approximate equivalents
5 mL = 1 t.
15 mL = 1 T.
60 mL = 1/4 c.
250 mL = 1 c.
Tip #09 :
Eliminating Odors
To remove most household odours, use a few drops of wintergreen oil on a cotton ball placed inconspicuously in each room. It lasts for months and is very inexpensive.
Cigarette smoke can be eliminated using any of the following methods:
- Light candles in the room.
- Use 4 small bowls of vinegar in the corners of the room.
- Soak a towel in water and swish it around the room.
- Place activated charcoal in small dishes after the smokers leave.
- A container filled with kitty litter deodorizer will remove the musty smell from a trunk.
To rid your cutting board of onion or garlic smells, rub the surface with the cut side of a lime or lemon. A paste of baking soda and water will also work.
IIf you have musty odours caused by mildew, take the item outside to air and dry out. If the item can’t be removed eg the mildew odour is in a closet, try using baking soda.
To prevent mildew from forming, wipe the area with vinegar to kill the mildew fungus.
Hang an old nylon stocking filled with cedar chips in the closet. Not only will it repel moths, it will give a sweet smell to your closet.
To help eliminate odors from the refrigerator & kitchen:
- Put an open box of baking soda in the refrigerator to eliminate food odours. You'll need to change the box every month or two.
- Use a small bowl of charcoal to absorb food odours quickly.
- Put a little vanilla on a cotton cloth and place in the fridge.
- Simmer a pan of water with spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg on the stove for a delightful air freshener.
- Dried orange and lemon rinds can be tossed in the fireplace for a spicy aroma.
